A Straight Back
by SeaJade
Summary: I was a payment for a debt. A debt that my parents got into long before I was born. A debt which cost a five-year old child eighteen years of his life as a servant to the emperor. It was not a malicious action, but to take from the emperor means to give back equally. Nothing personal, simply business. AU
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, SeaJade here. So, first and foremost, this is an AU fanfiction. Yeah, that's pretty much it. Well, I hope you enjoy. R&R

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"It was an honor to serve the emperor." That's what I had been told my whole life. Even through the tears, my mother managed to choke out those words again and again. To this day, the pain on my parents' faces is etched into my mind. Mother's tears freely ran down her face as my father stood behind her, solemn and stoic, watching the royal guards take me away from my home.

I was a payment for a debt. A debt that my parents got into long before I was born. A debt which cost a five-year old child eighteen years of his life as a servant to the emperor. It was not a malicious action, but to take from the emperor means to give back equally. Nothing personal, simply business.

My first thought when I was taken to the castle was 'big'. The palace walls were as high as the sky, the buildings were as large as mountains, and the stone they were made of gleamed like the sun. At least, that's how my five-year old self saw things.

While the walls may not have been as high as the sky and the buildings not as large as mountains, it was not lie that the palace was extremely large. For five years, the only buildings I knew were a small, three room house and a one room school. My world was small, as many children's worlds are, so the palace was something like a whole new world to me, something scary and yet adventurous.

It was the old maid's glare which held me back as I walked down those large palace hallways. Pictures of people and colorful vases decorated the hallway. I wanted to touch, climb, and run… but the stern look of the elderly woman held me back.

At the end of the corridor was a door, large and ornate, carved with images of people with sticks and plates playing with dogs and birds. Only later would I find out that the sticks were not sticks at all. Neither were the plates, plates; nor dogs, dogs; nor birds, birds. Instead they were swords, shields and monsters. A mural of a war long past.

The maid pushed the door open and motioned for me to enter. I walked inside, head turning like a wheel to capture the whole beauty of the room: lush carpet, large stain-glass windows, great banners from the golden ceiling.

It wasn't until the door closed that I realized there were other people in the room.

"Young child," a voice said.

I spun around looking for the owner of the voice. Four figures sat upon large seats towards the back of the room. The old maid placed her hand on my back and gently pushed me forward, towards the four people. I walked forward until a hand grabbed my shoulder halting me.

I stood staring up at the four figures. There was a man, with colorful clothing and lots of hair on his face, a woman, who had a stern look and bright blue eyes, and two children, a boy a few years older than me and a girl who was my age. I smiled at them as my mom told me to always smile when you greet someone.

The boy just stared at me unblinking, with his head tilted upwards and eyes wide so he looked a little weird. The girl smiled back.

"Hi," I said, "I'm- "

"Shhhh!" the old maid, who for some reason was on her knees, grabbed me by both shoulders and shook me a little, "you're in the presence of the Emperor! Kneel and don't talk unless spoken to."

"But they did talk to me," I said, "He spoke when I entered the room. I was just trying to be p-p-pol…. nice like my mom said when greeting people."

The girl giggled and I looked at her again smiling. I saw the boy nudge her and shook his head. The girl quieted down but struggled to keep a smile from forming.

I turned back to the maid and saw her glance up to the man, "Forgive him, your majesty, he is simply a boy, he does not know- "

The emperor raised a hand and smiled, "It is no problem Agatha, it is refreshing to see the youthful innocence of a child." He looked at me, "Child, I believe we were in the middle of introductions?"

"Hello," I said again after a short pause, "I'm Guy! What's your name?"

"Yes, they know you're a boy," the maid said from beside me, "what is the name your parents gave you?"

I looked at her and pointed to myself, "I am Guy."

"Yes, they know- "

"Excuse me Agatha," the man said and the maid immediately went silent, "I think he means that his name is Guy."

"That's my name!" I said happily.

The maid looked at me, "a rather unorthodox name to be sure….my apologies."

The man nodded, "Hello, Guy. I am August, Emperor of Ionia. This is my beloved wife Nyet and my two beautiful children Shen and Akali." Nyet and Shen gave me nods as their names were made known while Akali gave me a small wave.

"Do you know the reason you were brought here?" Emperor August asked.

I shook my head. Everything happened so suddenly that I honestly had no idea what was happening. "You have been called to serve this land as a payment for the favors that we have shown to your family." The emperor sighed, "honestly, I would rather let bygones be bygones- "

"August!" his wife whispered harshly.

The emperor sighed again, "but I suppose to maintain my image as the one in charge, I have to show them that I will not be taken advantage of."

The queen looked a little more composed as August finished saying that. "So," August continued, "you will serve here. You are expected to learn the ways of the court as well as be well educated in academics and the art of battle. More specifically, you will be retainer to my daughter, Akali, when you both grow older."

"Okay," I said, "what is a retainer?"

The emperor stroked his beard for a second, "A retainer is someone who works closely and serves someone. In your case, you will be the retainer of my daughter."

"So, like a friend," I said as I knew that friends were supposed to be close and help each other."

August smiled, "Yes, like a friend."

I walked towards the girl named Akali. Nyet and Shen immediately stood up, but August remained in his seat, watching me. I approached Akali whose eyes had grown wide, but she hadn't moved. I stuck out my hand, "Friends?" I asked.

Akali looked at my hand and then to her father. August smiled and nodded. Akali turned back at me, stood up, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into a hug, "Friends," she said.

She let go and I walked backwards, wide grins on both of our faces. The woman and Shen both sat back down after a few seconds and then Emperor just looked at me with a smile and warm eyes.

"Miss Agatha will be your caretaker from now on," August said, "she will oversee your academic and courtly learning. Sir Jax, although he could not be here, will be your martial instructor. You're lucky kid, he's one of the best."

I had no idea what he was saying but I nodded anyway as I saw the nurse motion me to do.

"You are dismissed," August said, "but first, do you have any questions?"

I thought for a moment, "Will my mom and dad be coming here soon?"

It was probably the first and last time I saw emperor August look truly sad, "I am afraid not Guy. I am afraid not."

I felt a heat on the back of my eyes. Getting a new friend and all was great, but if I couldn't have my mom and dad, I wasn't so sure that I wanted this. Before I could say anything, the maid Agatha was ushering me out of the room. I didn't' pay attention to the paintings of the vases on the way out. My mind was with my mom and dad, wondering when I would see them again. In turns out, I wouldn't see them again for a long, long time.

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So, it is a little shorter than most chapters that I write, but this really is just an introduction. The real Ch 1 will be a tad longer.

Ciao,

SeaJade


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, SeaJade here. So, here is another chapter and I really hope you enjoy it! Just as some background, a bit of time has past since the previous chapter so heads up.

Well, please R and R!

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I woke before the sun had crossed the horizon. I cleaned myself and dressed I in my servants' garb as to be clean in the presence of the emperor. I had been summoned to an audience with the emperor August for reasons I did not know, but nevertheless I had to go. As I walked the same hallway which I had walked for the past ten years, my mind raced, imagining every possible reason as to why I was summoned.

Did I do something wrong? Had I displeased lady Akali in some way? I couldn't think of an answer to those questions so I forced myself to stop lingering over such thoughts. I reached the large door and took a deep breath, calming and mentally readying myself for the audience. I knew the emperor never called anyone into a private audience without just reason, at least to the extent of my knowledge.

Two guards were stationed in front of the door, silent and unmoving. I walked up to them, "Greetings, I have an audience with the emperor."

"Name," One of them commanded.

"Guy," I said, "retainer and friend of her lady Akali."

The guard who spoke nodded, "You may proceed."

I gave three quick knocks on the door before hearing a muffled "enter". I followed the voice's commands and pushed the door open only far enough for me to squeeze through, and let the door close softly behind me.

I walked forward and knelt before the emperor, "Greetings your greatness."

My head was bowed, but I knew that even if I raised it, I would not see the kind face of the emperor that was in my memories. A vail separated the emperor and myself so that only a faint outline of a figure could be seen. Why such a vail was present eluded me, but I had been taught better to question the actions of royalty.

"Raise your head," August commanded, "and speak freely for I have taken effort to assure that we are alone in this room."

I raised my head, "Yes, sire."

I saw the emperor's figure shift as to rest his head in his hand, "What I am about to tell you will remain between the two of us."

"Yes sire," I said my curiosity growing, but patiently waiting for emperor August to continue.

"As you know," August began, "My son, Shen, was wed to princess Lux of Demacia two years ago. This was to aid in relations with our neighboring county."

I nodded, still not sure where he was going with all of this, "Yes, I remember. Akali was grieved at her brother's departure."

Although I couldn't see, I had no doubt that the emperor gave a small, sad smile at that information, "Yes, those two were quite close." The emperor paused for a moment and then continued, "Well, the reason I called you here is to inform you that I will be leaving Ionia soon."

"Your greatness," I exclaimed, "why? What does this have to do with Shen and our relations with Demacia?"

August let out a sigh, "Well, ever since we allied ourselves with Demacia, tensions broke out among the nations. Noxus, a long-time rival of Demacia, had viewed this alliance as a threat and has since been seeking alliances with other nations to bolster their forces."

Suddenly it dawned on me, "War."

"Yes, Guy," the emperor confirmed, "the motion of war has been brought up in the past, but never seriously acted upon. However, this time, Noxus and her allies have begun to mobilize on Demacia's borders as if preparing to invade. As such, Demacia has called upon her allies to come to her aid and thus, I must answer the call."

"Emperor August," I said, "surely you can send someone else in your stead. Ionia need not be deprived or her ruler!"

"Who would I send Guy?" The August asked, "the queen? She is far too ill and knows nothing of war. Akali? She is still much too young to be exposed to something like this. The noblility? No, I would not trust them with a matter such as this. They are politicians, not warriors."

"What of Duke Zed," I asked, "he is well known for his prowess on the battlefield. Surely he could go in your stead."

"Duke Zed," August mulled over the name, "Guy, listen to me. Duke Zed has volunteered to come with me, and I doubt this is due to his love for Ionia. There are mysteries surrounding Zed that I do not have an answer for, and as such, I will keep him close. Close so that I may keep an eye on him. Be wary of Zed, Guy, he knows far more than he lets on."

I bowed my head, displeased and confused with the turn of events, but there was nothing I could do to prevent them.

"Guy," the emperor said a little more softly, "I know this is not a favorable turn of events but it is due to them that I come here to request something of you. Remember, this is not an order, but a request from a father. Please take care of Akali while I am gone. She and Shen are more precious to me than all the fine jewels in the world. Over these past ten years I have seen you become a true friend to my daughter, and now I ask you to protect her. Watch over her in my stead."

"Yes, your greatness," I said, "I will watch over her and be the best retainer I can possibly be, and be the best friend to her that I can possibly be."

"Thank you, Guy," August said, "I know I leave her in capable hands. To make your life easier, I have two things to give you. First a piece of advice: I can see many barriers in the path ahead of you. Make sure to always do what is right, even if may be the incorrect thing. Second, I have this. It only works once so use it wisely."

At that, August held out a folded piece of paper form behind the vail. I stood up and received it form his hands, "What is this?"

"That is a paper which bears my royal seal," Emperor August explained, "it will allow you to make one decision. One decision which will have the weight of the emperor of Ionia behind it. Reveal this letter to the nobility and they will have no choice but to follow it. I must stress to not use this lightly. Truthfully, it would be most desirable if you do not have to use this at all."

Suddenly, the paper in my hands felt quite a lot heavier, "Emperor August, I cannot accept this! I am simply a retainer-"

"Guy," August interrupted, "what is the difference between an emperor and a servant?"

"Status and power," I said hesitantly.

"Indeed, and that is all there is," August said, "Both you and I are humans, and as humans we are bound to do both great things, and bad things. I trust that if the situation comes and you are forced to use my seal, you will use it for a great cause and not a bad one. If the past ten years have taught me anything about you, it is that you're a kind boy and one mature well beyond his years."

I bowed my head, "Thank you for the most gracious complement."

August laughed, "Although, if I had one complaint, it would be that you might be a little too straight-laced at times. Even though I know you won't, ease up a little. Don't take everything too seriously."

"If it is your will," I said, head still bowed.

"See, that's what I mean!" The emperor sighed, "Nevermind. Guy, remember what I told you and remember, this conversation shall remain between the two of us, not even Akali is to know."

"Yes, your greatness," I said.

"You are dismissed. Oh, and one more thing."

I turned to look at the emperor.

"Have fun today," he said with a smile.

I walked out of the throne room, past the two guards and down the long hallways of the castle, the emperor's words replaying over and over again in my mind. The paper in my hand getting heavier and heavier with each step. As I stepped into the outside courtyard, the sun had just rose above the distant mountains, casting a golden glow across the ground. From experience, Akali would be up soon and I would have a full day. I headed back to my room and immediately opened a hidden drawer from my desk.

The desk was a gift from a master craftsman to Akali, who didn't like the smell of the wood and was thus passed onto me. Every once and awhile I would stumble upon a hidden or secret drawer in the desk, each empty but adding to the wonder of the gift. I slipped the emperor seal inside the desk and closed it up, vowing to myself that I would never use the gift, unless it became the only way to save the life of the one I served, Akali. Using it selfishly would betray the will of emperor August.

I had just finished closing the drawer when a quick series of knocks hit my door. "Guuuuuuyy!" a voice cried.

A small smile spread across my face, more of a smirk actually. Akali had arrived. I walked over to the door, and opened it only slightly, just enough for me to see the person outside, "I'm sure that the nobility of Ionia would not be caught dead in servant's quarters."

"I was too excited, I couldn't help it!" Akali said, "you do remember what day it is today, don't you?"

"A Thursday?" I answered.

"No!" she exclaimed, "well, yes, it is, but that's not the point! Today is the tenth anniversary of our friendship! Ten years!"

"Has it been that long already?" I asked knowing full well that it had been that long.

"You can't remember anything, can you?" she asked, "nothing important at least."

I opened the door further until I was the only thing blocking entrance into my room, "I'll have you know that I finished with the highest marks of Miss Agatha's tutorage. She even went as far as to say that I-"

"-was the brightest student she had ever come across all her long years of teaching," Akali finished, "yeah, yeah, I've heard that one a thousand times! That' all she talked about nowadays, how good of a student you are. If you're so good, why can't you remember the important things like today? I bet you don't even remember what my birthday is."

I scoffed at the notion, "Oh course I know when your birthday is, it's….uh…Mar-"

"April."

"That's what I was saying, April s-seven-nine—third."

"It's the twenty-second."

"Exactly what I said."

"You're unbelievable."

Akali turned around and crossed her arms, which I found quite funny, "really, you're pouting? Aren't you a little old for something like that?"

Akali faced me, "that's right, we're fifteen now and to show you how much more mature I am than you, I will offer you a chance at redemption. You must skip your training today and accompany me to the market. It is the Blood Moon festival today and I want to experience the festivities."

"You know we can't do that," I said adopting a more serious tone, "heading past the palace walls has been forbidden except on special occasions. Plus, I don't really want to skip training, I'm going to learn a new technique today. Here's what we should do, we stay here, I'll perform my duties as your retainer, you perform your duties as royalty. Isn't there a financial meeting today? Those are skills which you need to master."

Akali looked down, "Hmmmm, nope. Good try though. I already got permission from father yesterday to leave palace grounds if I took a guard with me. Grandmaster Jax already gave his consent to let you take the day off of training as well as his acknowledgement that you were fit to serve as both my retainer and body guard while we are shopping. Basically, you are coming with me whether you like it or not, even if I have to order you to."

I opened my mouth and closed it again, trying to find a hole in her argument. The emperor's 'have fun' finally made sense now. After a few seconds passed, I sighed in defeat, "Fine, you win. Just don't leave my side. It dangerous for royalty outside of the castle."

Akali put her hands on her hips," What? You don't think that I can protect myself?"

"No, but if anything did happen to you, my head would be on a silver platter before tomorrow morning." Indeed I did not doubt Akali's ability to protect herself. She had been trained in Ionia's sacred art of ninjutsu. Wielding dual kama, the symbol of female Ionian royalty, I knew just how deadly Akali could be, armed or not. However, that did not change the fact that despite her skills, she had no practical application of her abilities, something that I learned could matter more than the skill difference between oneself and opponent.

Akali "tsk'd" but didn't argue. She turned around and started walking towards the castle entrance. I followed her, matching her pace two steps behind. "What are you doing back there?" she asked.

"It is not fit for a mere retainer to walk on equal footing with someone with a status such as yours," I replied calmly.

"Get to my side right now," Akali said, "such action will only bring more attention to the two of us. We need to blend in and act as the common folk would. "

I didn't say anything but I allowed my actions to speak for me. Taking a few steps forwards, I positioned myself to the side of my master. I looked down to her and although she didn't look back up, I could see the faintest smile on her face.

Once again, we began to walk, the guards already informed of Lady Akali's departure as they did not try to stop us as we left the castle grounds. The large castle was actually surrounded by the town on three sides. So, as soon as we left the castle, we found ourselves on busy streets, people rushing this way and that, moving on with their lives.

Akali boldly walked forwards, her face passive, but her eyes giving away the wonder that she felt. It came as no surprise to me though, as Akali had never left the castle grounds before this moment.

"Are the streets usually this crowded?" Akali asked me.

"I cannot say for sure" I answered, relying on my limited experience of the town, "I haven't left the castle grounds that many times, but this is definitely the most crowded I've ever seen. Perhaps this has to do with the Blood Moon Festival."

"Hmm."

Akali continued walking, but made her way to the side of the road, where it was considerably less crowded. The streets were littered with red and white decorations, hanging from houses, shops, stalls, and pretty much any structure that could hold a decoration. The people were dressed up in similar color garb, long flowing kimonos with splashes of blue and green mixed in. As we walked, we saw an elderly lady, surrounded by children looking at the woman's wares.

"-and this mask is said to be the one that the Blood King took from the Shrine of the Moon," the elderly lady said while holding up a mask. The mask was white, with red and blue markings forming a mysterious face. "When the Blood King took the pure white mask of the Shrine of the Moon, the mask was corrupted and the horns and antlers that you can see here grew. With the power of the mask, the Blood King became like a demon, both terrible and powerful."

We had stopped to listen to the woman's tale, Akali hanging on every word that the woman spoke. "As the Blood King grew in power, he took the name the Blood Moon Lord, and with the power of his mask, gave other masks to his most loyal followers, giving them similar powers. However, legend has it that he challenged the most powerful Clan of them all, the Children of Arclight. Despite his followers and demonic powers, the Blood Moon Lord fell to the Children of Arclight's leader, the Chosen of Arclight."

"They say that their battle raged on for a whole month, until the Chosen of Arclight's ultimate magic took effect. You see, when the Chosen of Arclight learned of the left of the Mask of Moon, she prepared a magic that would hide the moon from the earth, cutting off the masks power. So, when the moon vanished, the Blood Moon Lord could not compare to the power of the Chosen of Arclight and was defeated, peace being resorted to the land. However, the mask was lost in time, only to show up here and now."

The elderly lady placed the mask down in front of the children, who looked at it with wonder and awe. I could see one child in the front, trying desperately to hold himself back from touching such a priceless treasure.

"Guy," Akali said, "do you think-?"

"No," I quickly said. This was the problem with sheltered children, much too gullible. "No, she probably made the story up last night, in fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if she tried to sell the thing."

As if on cue, the lady spoke up once more, "That's why, for right now, I will offer you a chance of a lifetime. For only 2000 Gold, not only will I give you the mask, but also a set of clothes said to be identical to those of the Blood Moon Lord's followers."

Bingo, there it was.

The children all ran to where their parents were standing short steps away, faces turned up and eyes widened to sizes of adorable cuteness, all of them asking to buy such legendary items. I gave a small chuckle and looked back at Akali, only to find her with an identical look on her face, cute and all.

"No," I said firmly, "2000 Gold is way too expensive for such items."

Akali made a face unfit for royalty but I ignored it. I started to walk ahead, only to have the old lady reach out and grab me by the arm. "Young man, are you sure you don't want to buy this and help and old woman out? We've fallen onto hard times you know."

"Sorry ma'am," I said, "but if you are that in need of money, do your children or husband not work to provide for you?"

"Oh, the old man does his best," the lady said solemnly, "and I'm sure my child would if he were still with us."

I immediately felt guilt, "I am sorry. I did not know."

"No," the woman said with a wave of her hand, "it's nothing. I know he is still alive, somewhere out there…I just wish I could see him again. I'm sure he would look a lot like you."

I bowed my head in respect for my elder, "I am sorry to bring up such painful memories. Akali, let's-"

My master had vanished.

"Idiot!" I berated myself. I turned to the woman, "did you happen to see where the lady I was here with went?"

The woman looked up, a small, sly smile growing up on her face, "Indeed I did."

"Which way did she go?"

"Buy the mask and I will tell you."

"I don't have time for this! Which way?!"

The lady just smiled and held out her hand. I really didn't have time to argue. I reached into my pockets and found approximately 1200 Gold within them. "I only have 1200, will you accept this?"

The lady thought for a moment before holding out her hand. I placed the money in her open palm and handed me the mask and clothes. "The young lass got swept away with the crowd in that direction." She said pointing to the right, a direction that led deeper and deeper into the town.

I grunted, stowing the clothes and mask away in my garb, and began to ran in the direction the lady pointed, pushing aside people as I went. I heard the lady call out after me, "I hope you find your girlfriend!"

"I wouldn't have to find her if it wasn't for you in the first place," I muttered to myself. I kept pushing my way past people, but the crowd was huge, finding Akali in this place would be near impossible.

"Ah, the Emperor if going to kill me!"

I kept pushing myself forward, pausing only to jump up and look around the crowd for any sign of Akali's long, black hair. I kept myself towards the side of the road. Akali may lack experience of the outside world, but she was far from being dumb. I had no doubt that she would stick as close to the sides of the road as she could.

My search continued for several minutes, my panic growing steadily with each passing second. I couldn't let it out though, as then I would have no chance of finding Akali. I ran past an alleyway and form the corner of my eyes I thought I saw a flash of green, the color that Akali was wearing. I stopped and looked down the alleyway. It was dim, but I could clearly see Akali at the other end.

"Akali!" I shouted, but if she heard me, she didn't give any response.

"Akali!" I shouted again, running down the alleyway.

Akali didn't move, she just stood there, frozen. I picked up my pace, not knowing what was wrong but by the time I reached her, I realized that there was nothing wrong, there was something completely right.

Akali stood at the bank of a beautiful pond, the morning sun casting a golden glow over the surrounding area. It was strangely quiet, the buildings acting as a natural sound barrier from the bustling streets not 100 feet away.

A cherry tree loomed over the peaceful pond, blossoms beginning to fall, signaling the beginning of a new season. A green, luscious park was wrapped around the pond. The only words to describe such a sight was beautiful.

"Beautiful, isn't it," Akali asked.

"Yes, it really is." I agreed, "I'm glad I didn't lose you."

"Me too."

Time passed as we stood there, side-by-side, watching the wind blow gentle ripples in the pond. Eventually however, we both tore our eyes away from the sight.

"I want one in the castle," Akali said, "but I know that would then ruin the wonder of this experience."

As I said, Akali was definitely not a dumb person.

As we made our way, back to the streets, the mood of the crowd found us and the serenity of the pond was not forgotten, but put behind us. As our day continued, I began to genuinely enjoy the festivities. From the food to the dancing, the energy of the people surrounding us enveloped me and my spirits lifted to an all-time high. Here, I didn't have to stand with a straight back, careful of every word I said, every action I did. Here, I could laugh, shout, joke and dance, and no one would think lowly of me for it. I could see Akali caught up with the mood of the festival too. A smile wide on her face, we talked more openly, not as vassal and servant, but as friend to friend.

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So, as I promised, it is a little longer than the last one. The ending may seem kind of abrupt but just roll with it please. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!

Ciao,

SeaJade


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, SeaJade here. So, I know it has been awhile, but life has been giving me lemons so I've been quite busy making lemonade...in other words I have been busy.

Well, a thank you to all the people who decided to follow this story, you guys are the reason why I write:D

Anyway, here is the next chapter thing, its again a little on the shorter side but I hope you enjoy it regardless.

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It is as the saying goes, "time flies when you are having fun," and indeed the time did fly on this day. The hours that passed felt like seconds as Akali and I explored every inch of the festival. From a cold, Freljordian dessert known as "ice cream" to the strangely alluring and exotic dances of the Shuriman dessert, many different cultures blended together to form one giant festivity.

Soon however, the sun began to set and the energy of the day seemed to wane. A comfortable silence fell between Akali and myself and even though the crowd was still enormous, it seemed as if their noise had lowered to a forgettable rumble. I turned to look at the Ionian princess at my side, her face looked tired from the day's activities but her eyes shone bright, reflecting the lanterns that had been recently lit as the sun went down.

Akali looked on ahead, unaware of my gaze. It was only then I was conscious of the difference in our height. I mean, I knew I had grown taller than her long ago, but it was somehow different now. A complicated feeling arose within me, something I could not place. A feeling which sent warning signals throughout my body. Although I did not know exactly what I was beginning to feel, I felt that if I let myself continue down this road, nothing good would come out of it.

Akali looked up at me, finally aware of my gaze, "What?" she asked.

I averted my eyes, "Nothing."

We walked in silence for a few moments before Akali turned her gaze up to the sky, "I want to go back."

We stopped walking, "Back where?" I asked.

"To the pond that we found this morning," She clarified, "If it was as beautiful as I remember it in the morning light, I think it will be even more beautiful with the sunset."

I grunted my agreement, racking my memory to figure out where exactly we had found the small pond. Luckily, my sense of direction was above average and I had a good knowledge of the area that we had walked that day. "If I am not mistaken," I said, "it should be just up ahead."

"Let's go then," Akali said, taking the lead.

I followed quickly behind her, my eyes searching for any landmark that might betray the position of our destination. We continued like this for a few minutes before Akali let out a breath of exclamation and took off down an alley.

I ran to catch up, and I was reminded that Lady Akali was by no means out of shape. We reached the end of the alley to once again find ourselves back at the small garden which had so captivated us earlier in the day. We gazed upon the surface of the pond, its beauty unchanged. The gentle light of the setting sun cast the pond in a gentle, orange light. Both the sun and moon were reflected in the clear waters of the pond at that moment, the moon a graceful orb, the sun casting an arc of light which covered the moon's reflection. As I looked at the reflections, they looked strangely like the mark of the blood moon, reminding me of the clothes that I had been carrying with me all day.

"Akali," I said breaking the silence.

"Yes?"

"I have something for you," I took out the blood moon robes and mask, "In celebration of your first blood moon festival outside of the castle."

She took the present from my hands, her mouth slightly ajar, "Thank you," she managed.

"Your welcome-" I began before I noticed the tears that started to fall down my Lady's face.

"Akali, what's wrong?" I asked my worry growing, "are you hurt?"

How could I have let my liege suffer harm on my watch!?

"No," she hiccupped, the tears starting to flow freely, "not physically at least."

"Then why-"

"I am so happy, yet so distraught!" she exclaimed, "this present, this day, feels like a dream. A good dream, one that I do not want to wake up from. Spending time with you like this, not as vassal and servant but as friends means so much to me. Half of these tears are tears of joy."

"And the other half?" I asked quietly.

"Tears of sadness," she replied, "I know of what you and father talked about today. He didn't realize it, but I had woken up early and listened in to your conversation…part of it at least."

"Oh," I said, "Your father-"

"Probably told you to not tell me," she finished, "Yes, I know. But how could he just leave me like this! First Shen, then him! Mother is not getting any better, I can't see my brother anymore now that that Demacian Princess took him and not Demacia is even taking father form me as well? What am I supposed to do? Everything is falling apart! My royal duties are killing me, I have to be perfect all the time, everyone watches me as the last in line for the throne, I can't ever relax and they are leaving me! All of them! Guy…what do I do?"

Tears flowing freely now, Akali grabbed my hand and stared up at me with red eyes. I could feel her pain just by looking at her, and it killed me inside that the lady I was supposed to serve, the lady who was my friend was in so much pain. My mind raced, wondering how to handle this situation, when a voice in my head said, "A hug and a smile can melt away all pain."

The voice was gentle and sweet, loving and kind. It was a woman's voice, from a time years and years in my past, a voice that belonged to a woman who I had long since forgotten. My mind fought against the voice however, my training telling me that such an intimate act with royalty could cost me my life. The difference in status was much to great…but I couldn't just leave Akali in this state. Then another voice went through my head, this one a little more recent, 'make sure to always do the right thing, even if it is the incorrect one.'

The emperors voice drifted through my thoughts, erasing all form of argument I had. I grabbed Akali and pulled her into me, my arms wrapping around her. She froze at first, before hugging me back and sobbing into my shoulder.

We stayed like that for a certain time; seconds, minutes, hours all seemed to blend together as she cried into my shoulder. Eventually the crying slowed to a stop, but she didn't let go. In fact, she dug her fingers into my back and her face into my shoulder and took deep breaths. I tightened my hug and she let out one final deep exhale before gently pushing me away.

I looked into her eyes, still red from crying, but they held a renewed firmness, "Thank you, Guy. I needed that…and don't worry, I won't tell father, not that he would care."

I gave a sheepish laugh, "Thanks."

"Already beginning to hide things from your father, eh, princess?" a voice said.

We spun around, looking for the owner of the voice, when we first couldn't see who it belonged to, we looked back at each other only to find an armored figure standing between us.

"How-" Akali exclaimed, jumping back.

The figure lashed out and grabbed Akali by the neck. Effortlessly he lifted her off of the ground with only one arm. Akali flailed her legs, and tried to hit the arm, but the figure holding her didn't budge. I jumped into action. By grabbing Akali, he had turned his back to me, a fatal mistake. A went low, aiming a kick at the back of his knees to cause him to fall. He tilted his head in my direction, raised a leg and blocked my kick.

I jumped, using my momentum and spun around attempting to land a back-spinning kick to his head. Almost to quickly for my eyes to see, he raised his arm and blocked my kick. I landed only to find his foot heading towards my face. I raised both arms to block. The blow never came.

Akali used the assailants momentary shift in weight to throw a double legged kick into the assailant's face. The attack took him by surprise and he dropped Akali and stumbled back a few steps. Akali landed in a role and stood up next to me, facing our attacker.

The man grabbed his chin and rotated his head, "Nice kick, you're not as helpless as I thought you were."

I took a good look at the man. He was tall, broad, and covered head to toe with armor. The 'eyes' in his mask shone bright red and his arms were adorned with extremely sharp looking blades. "Who are you?" I demanded.

"You have lost the element of surprise," I continued, "you cannot defeat us two against one."

"Two against one," the assailant muttered, "I wonder about that."

His voice had an amused growl to it, and I was at first confused at what he meant. Then, I caught movement in my peripheral vision and tackled Akali to the ground. Another attacker had appeared and had just missed a blow to the back of Akali's head.

I got to my feet to meet the new attacker, only to come face to face with what looked like a shadowy clone of the other man.

"Wow," the armored man said, "I'm impressed. Those are some great reflexes you have there. At such a young age too."

"Who _are_ you," I asked again.

"Don't get distracted now," he instructed.

The shadow threw what looked like shuriken at me from point blank range. I bent backwards, being cut by the attack but avoiding any major damage, when the mask man suddenly appeared right where the shadow was. He placed a hand on my face and shoved me into the ground. His hand held me there, his strength far superior to mine. He raised a blade over my chest.

"I am power," he said.

But before he could bring the blade down and end me, Akali kicked at his head. He abandoned his attack and grabbed her leg, stopping her attack. With both hands now occupied, I brought my knees up and kicked up towards his chest, pushing him off me. Getting to my feet I reached into a pocket and pulled out a small grey sphere. I threw it to the ground and it exploded, covering the area with smoke.

The masked figure muttered something, but before I could make out what it was, I grabbed Akali and bolted for the alley and ultimately, the street. If I could get to where people were, we would be safe.

The first part of the plan went well, in the sense that we indeed make it out of the park and into the alley. However, our attacker was tenacious. He knew what we wanted to do and headed for the alley as well. Akali and I broke free from the smoke first. We sprinted down the narrow alley. I was right on the heels of Akali when we noticed that the shadowy figure of our attacker materialized in front of us. Then, our attacker himself was there, his blade sweeping towards Akali's neck. Akali fell into a slide while I jumped, the blade passing harmlessly between us. We continued to run, the open street just feet ahead of us.

She broke out to the street first, I felt an impact in my back and fell forward, tumbling onto the street. I got to my knees, blood pumping in my ears, but the attacker was nowhere to be seen, not even in the alley we just came from.

"Where-?" I muttered, confused.

Akali let out a little gasp, "Guy…"

I turned around, "Yeah?"

That was when the pain hit me, a sharpshooting pain from my back which made me fall to my knees. I turned my head and saw two shadowy shuriken dissolving, leaving two wide gashes in my back, and blood soaking my garment.

"Oh, that's a problem," I said before blackness consumed me.

I woke on my bed. My body ached but that only served to prove that I was alive. I tried to sit up, but my body groaned in discomfort.

"Just keep laying down," a voice said, "you've been laying there for two days, you need to take things slowly."

"Master Jax," I said, "what-what happened?"

"I feel like you should know better than I do," my master said with a half-jovial tone, "but from the sound of it, you need some more training."

I remembered the difference in the power level between myself and the attacker, "I have no idea how we survived that. I failed as Lady Akali's guard."

"He was probably just playing with you," Jax said, "but, let us not overlook your skill as well. I did train you after all."

"And your training is the only reason why we are still alive," I noted.

Jax let out a laugh, "well, despite the shape that you are in, you did manage to protect the princess form harm for the most part, that in itself is not too bad. It's harder to protect someone else besides yourself."

I nodded, "Thank you for the compliment. But that does not excuse the fact that Lady Akali did come to harm under my watch."

"A fact which neither her father, nor herself put any blame on you," Jax said, "A ninja that could control shadow and teleport would prove an impossible challenge to many."

"If it were you," I argued, "You could have dealt with him easily."

"Maybe," Jax said, "but then again, I am the master, and as I said, you are still a student whose training is still incomplete."

I lowered my head, "Yes, and I hope that I can continue to train under you, to make up for my weakness."

Jax stroked his chin, "Sometimes, I don't understand you, Guy. The things that you say…" He let out a sigh, "I will complete your training, you do not need to worry about that. All in all, good job protecting Akali. I am proud of you. Get some more rest, you need it."

Jax left the room, leaving me to my thoughts. The memory of my first real battle replaying through my mind again and again. Thoughts of what I could have done better mixed with thoughts of how lucky we were to survive. I closed my eyes, and the mask of the enemy flashed in my head.

 _Next time,_ I thought, _next time things will be different…as long as the next time isn't like tomorrow…._

Then, I fell back asleep.

* * *

So, to clarify the "wait, but that is obviously Zed, how do they not know who there attacker is?" question, let me say that everyone only knows Zed when he is not in his fighting garb. He is known as a Duke, not a ninja, hence the mystery of the character.

Well, I apologize for any grammatical errors I am bound to have made, feel free to point them out.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Ciao,

SeaJade


End file.
